Microspine Gripping Mechanism for Asteroid Capture

摘要

This paper details the development and early testing of a compliant suspension for a microspine gripperrndevice for asteroid capture or micro-gravity percussive drilling. The microspine gripper architecture isrnreviewed, and a proposed microspine suspension design is presented and discussed. Prototyping methodsrnare discussed, as well as testing methods and results. A path forward is identified from the results of therntesting completed thus far. Key findings include: the microspine concept has been established as a validrnarchitecture and the compliant suspension exhibits the desired stiffness characteristics for good grippingrnbehavior. These developments will aid in developing the capability to grasp irregularly shaped boulders inrnmicro-gravity.